‘Nigerians Shouldn’t Blame Tinubu For Current Economic Hardship’
A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Ismaeel Ahmed, has said that President Bola Tinubu should not be blamed for the country’s current economic challenges.
Ahmed, who acknowledged the struggle Nigerians are facing with the soaring cost of living and the surge in commodity prices, said during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, that the difficult choices made by the present government were indispensable for the economic revival of the nation.
He said: “Hard decisions were taken. None of these decisions was not promised during the campaign, not only by President Bola Tinubu but by other candidates as well.
“We are in a situation where things have to realign. The President has taken hard decisions, it is discomforting, we are all feeling the pinch, but I won’t say the President is to be blamed for.”
Naija News reports that ever since assuming office in May 2023, Tinubu has implemented a series of reforms with the goal of revitalizing the economy and promoting investment.
However, these initiatives have resulted in an increase in the cost of living.
One of the President’s tough economic measures was the removal of fuel subsidy, which has led to higher living expenses and transportation costs.
Additionally, Tinubu has adjusted the naira exchange rate by eliminating multiple rates, but this decision has caused a significant depreciation in the national currency’s value.
It is worth noting that prior to the presidential election on February 25, 2023, both Peter Obi from the Labour Party (LP) and Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had also pledged to end the era of fuel subsidy and unify the exchange rate.
Despite Tinubu’s relatively short time in office, there are already political calculations and alliances being formed in anticipation of the next electoral cycle. Reports have surfaced regarding discussions between Atiku and Obi.
In response to this, Ahmed stated that he is not surprised by the development and assured that his party will continue to deliver the benefits of democracy to the Nigerian people.
The APC chieftain said: “That is not surprising, I don’t know why that is a big deal. As a party in office, we will relish the possibility of a very strong opposition to keep us on our toes and actually do democracy the way it should be done.
“Nigerians will make a decision based on what they know of the people who are running for particular offices at every point in time. It is something that I look forward to; a very meaningful opposition because we haven’t seen that since we got into office.”
Watch the interview below:
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